Didn't your momma ever tell you not to go skinny-dipping

Kata Beach, Phuket -- Independence and lovely girlfriends aside, I was determined not to spend my birthday in the tidy island of Singapore. Good girlfriend and constant Sunday date Rach to the rescue, and my Phuket birthday weekend was born. The plan: a relaxing weekend of sun, swim-up bars, eight hours of sleep, good food and good wine. Just what the doctor ordered.

Day 1: We were bumped off our 8am flight and got transferred to a different airline, at a different terminal, 5 hours later. I am never flying Tiger again. I was "taking things in stride" when someone bumped into Rach's suitcase and crashed our two bottles of red wine. SGD 100 down the drain. Deep breaths, Justine. We finally arrive at the Sugar Palm Resort & Spa which was every bit the boutique hotel I had hoped for (3,000THB/night/with breakfast). Things are looking up. Trudged to Patong for a fabulous Thai dinner (over ordered and overate, of course) and wandered around for a bar to party at. No such luck. Isn't this party central? Images of Clarke Quay come streaming in. Uh oh.

Day 2: We head off to the beach bright and early after brekkie and realise--everyone on the planet had the same idea! For those of you who have read that Kata is the less touristy area of Patong, you are sorely mistaken. Sigh. But alas the sun is out and we plop onto a pair of beach chairs (30THB/day). Aaah this is the life, time for some Chico Barque. Convinced that I'm sufficiently tan (insert Chit's voice reminding me not to get too dark), we head back to the hotel for our hot stone massages. Just add a cute boy and this could be heaven.

Birthday eve: Anyone going on holiday in Kata shouldn't pass up the chance to eat at Mom Tri's Boathouse. Dinner was wonderful - scallops, fish, and creme brulee for dessert (hey no one said you could only have a birthday CAKE!). Expensive but worth it (SGD100/head/appetizers/entree/wine). It doesn't hurt that they sang for me and gave us 7 roses! After dinner highlights include: a shabby reggae beach bar, strangers getting up to dance with us (they probably got sick of watching two poor girls dancing by themselves), a whole bar singing happy birthday (to me!), fun Aussie chicks Jem and Julie, swinging 60 year olds from Jersey (the country), cute Jap boy with a penchant for posing, (cute) German birthday boy Max, a Chelsea futbol jersey, and an incident responsible for the title of this post. Boys and girls, listen to your momma and if after a bottle of vino, a couple of margaritas and five or so vodka seven-ups you can't, leave your valuables within arm's reach. Otherwise, the first voice you'll hear on the other end of a telephone line wishing you a happy birthday is a Citibank stolen card hotline operator--"Oh, happy birthday Ma'am." Indeed.

So that's it, I'm officially (gasp!) 29. Neither here nor there but definitely getting somewhere. Tough but will turn to a hopeless schmuck from time to time. Surrounded by good friends but missing the old ones dearly (biggest thanks to bestest girlfriends Bon, Rochie and Reese for sending love across the miles). Happy but wanting more. Living my life but wouldn't mind sharing it. In the meantime, as Reese so wisely reminds me, enjoying the moments. Like the ones involving kissing in the rain.

Flashback: Loy Krathong

Chiang Mai, THAILAND--The Buddhists believe that floating a krathong (a circular raft made from a section of a banana trunk decorated with flowers, candles, incense) on a full moon on the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar means letting go of all your grudges and anger so that you can start life afresh. Think getting rid of bad juju. Blissfully ignorant of this interpretation, Reese, Rochie, Trina and I headed off to the Northern city of Chiang Mai. Loy Krathong is celebrated throughout Thailand but the city of Chiang Mai is known for its Khom Fai or lanna-style hot air lanterns on which people write their heartfelt desires and release into the air lighting up the sky with tiny specks of light. Aha!



If you're tired of Bangkok, Chiang Mai is your next best bet. The food- 10B Khao!, roti (local crepes), and your usual Thai cuisine are in abundance but with a slightly international flavour. For breakfast you can have noodles or muesli and yoghurt with fruits and strong coffee. Yummm. You can get your fill of temples in Chiang Mai as well, although we didn't. Depending on how much time you have, do check out the Doi Inthanon National Park, the Orchid farm, the Chiang Mai night bazaar, the traditional Thai massage, and the little artists' shops. By all means, avoid the elephant park unless you think elephants who have been taught to perform on cue are anything other than cruel. Chiang Mai is pretty small (at least the center) so pick a hotel in town and walk walk walk. In November the nights are a bit chilly so carry a light jacket. Otherwise, there's always the trusty old tuk-tuk. We stayed at the cosy Sri-Pat guesthouse where much to Rochie's horror, USD 25/night/room gets you two comfy beds, a decent bathroom and the best banana pancakes in town! Move over, Libernard Cafe. For a night cap, head over to House, a spacious restaurant/tapas bar with big fluffly cushions and a good selection of reds. Thankfully, Sri-pat was walking (crawling?) distance from the House so we could kick our drunken friends' arses back to our rooms on our last night. Why must we be 'nurturing' drunks?

So whether you're releasing bad juju, wanting to make a wish and ran out of candles, or you just want an alternative to Bangkok, head off for Loy Krathong in Chiang Mai. Allons!

flashback: kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi, THAILAND -- oye! was in central thailand last year & made this list of stuff to do in kanchanaburi.

1. Erawan Falls - It’s a workout climbing to the top but it’s clean, beautiful & worth it. The park staff take preservation seriously- litterbugs will be fined 100 baht!

2. Apple’s Guest House - even if you stay elsewhere, try their food. 5 stars! I had the special krathom pad thai & the backpacker staple, banana pancakes.

3. Spa lifestyle at Suan Nanachaat - Great service in a lovely oriental house. And the homemade bread is reason enough to drop by.

4. A ride on the Death Railway - Historic, scenic & fun.

5. Cheap little discoveries (i.e., unlisted on your guidebook) - Like Roongthip restaurant along the road leading to Bridge over the River Kwai. Good mixed “tau fu.”

6. Ploy Guest House - Romantic garden bathrooms on the ground floor & ever-smiling, helpful staff.

7. Tiger Temple - You may not agree with how the tigers are tamed (they’re chained while visitors are onsite) but at least they get to live in a large tract of land free from poachers. The monks and tiger handlers seem to really care for the big cats. And giving a tiger a tummy rub - priceless!